


Burning the candle at both ends

by Moonlight_Uni



Category: Iron Man (Comic), Iron Man (Movies), Iron Man - All Media Types, Marvel, Marvel 616, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Eventual Frostiron, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, FrostIron - Freeform, Hurt Tony Stark, IronFrost - Freeform, Loki & Tony Stark Friendship, Loki Does What He Wants, Loki Feels, M/M, Marvel Universe, Multi, Post-Battle of New York (Marvel), Tony Stark Does What He Wants, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, lokitony - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-14
Updated: 2015-04-14
Packaged: 2018-03-22 23:10:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3747064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonlight_Uni/pseuds/Moonlight_Uni
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Burning the candle at both ends - Broken men can't always be fixed but they can lie to themselves and pretend they're fine. Tony's rocky relationship with Pepper looks fine on the surface and they both know it's not okay.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Burning the candle at both ends

Since the fall of New York much of the city had been on a state of national alert even two years down the line which spoke volumes about how deep that wound had cut into the heart of the American powerhouse. For a particular billionaire, owner of more real estate than most journalists had time to scribble down, there was a suffering that rooted itself far deeper into his pysche. A year to the day following that dark meeting with the void Tony was still in a deep depression and the events of this particular day only drove him into further murky, mental pits.

It was Pepper throwing her Starkpad across the marbled floor at Tony that finally seemed to snap him out of whatever dull trance the genius was claimed by. His dark eyes swung low and watched the piece of his own tech shatter, frame breaking off before grinding to a halt at his feet. Immediately Tony's attention was on her, vision breaking into a fit of confusion since his concentration had lapsed. As he looked at her Tony first noticed the wetness forming at the brims of her glassy blue eyes just before it spilled.

Pepper's heart was racing; why wasn't Tony even listening to her. The man had never looked so listless standing there with his hand on the bar, barely keeping grip while she had been spilling her guts to him why they, why this relationship was barely functional anymore. Shaking on her heels as rage bubbled up Pepper slung the Starkpad and watched it break at Tony's feet before she clicked her way over to grasp his attention by smacking him across the face as tears threatened to break.

Though tears did spill down her face, streaking into her makeup the redhead held her nerve better than most women would have when dealing with a stubborn man like Stark will three million issues and a pyschiatrist that threw herself off the Brooklyn bridge earlier that year. 

Tony could barely remember her name even when he replayed the incident over when he was having an insomniatic week; she was just another face, drowning in a crowd. 

That wasn't a good few weeks for Pepper and the news had driven Pepper herself to spending a week in rehab for stress and overwork. Stark himself ignored the situation like it wasn't his responsibility and barricaded himself in the lab for two weeks solid. It was only under a set of express orders from someone much higher up the command chain than Pepper that eventually got Tony out of his lab to face reality. Pepper's wrath was another thing completely.

A few weeks later, after Pepper had quite literally smacked some sense into Tony, things would appear to be progressing well for the stressed couple at least on the surface. Work for the genius was coming in from interested parties and his drinking had been toned back a few notches to every other day opposed to every other hour. That evening both of them made a point of spending their time together, no work, no notes and no being handed things. For once there was a sense of normality – at least as normal at it got for Tony Stark.

Pepper's shirt was pushed up by Tony's hand as he slipped well trained fingers underneath the material, teasing the woman's pale skin with touch alone while she raked up her skirt to wrap long legs around Tony's waist. Despite their bodies knowing each other intimately the redhead couldn't contain her desire for Tony during moments of their undoing and instinctively Pepper tightened a thigh, communicating her physical need for her mechanic.


End file.
